Canary Islands

The Canary Islands is an archipelago and an autonomous community of Spain, located 62 miles west of Morocco. Portugal attempted to conquer the islands as early as 1336, and Castile began its conquest of the islands in 1402, with Henry III of Castile reigning over Castile and the Canary Islands. The Castilians focused on single-crop cultivation, and the cities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria were founded by the Spanish settlers. The islands were frequently attacked by pirates from North Africa and privateers, and a Dutch fleet of 74 ships and 12,000 troops attacked the Canaries in 1599 during the Dutch Revolt. On 16 August 1982, Spain gave autonomy to the islands due to their unique culture. In 2011, the Canary Islands had a population of 2,117,519 people.